This thread will have the latest breaking updates on the situation in Northern Israel. The newest information will be posted on top:
2:47PM EST: The Carmel fire is spreading in the direction of Haifa University. Firefighters said that strong winds were driving the fire towards the campus at high speeds. Firefighters were on the scene.
11:33AM EST: Police Insp.-Gen. David Cohen said that the two arson suspects arrested earlier in the day are not linked to the main fire on the Carmel Mountain. Cohen said that investigators have determined that the large fire (Carmel) spread from a single ignition point. He added that the cause of the fire, either arson or negligence, would probably be determined by Saturday. The police inspector-general said that there were, however, a number of suspected arson attacks in the North, but that the cause of the large Carmel fire was still unknown.
10:58AM EST: All firefighting aircraft have been grounded for the evening as the sun set. They will resume their activities early Saturday morning.
10:55AM EST: According to the Jerusalem Post, the two arsonists who were arrested earlier, were spotted by an IAF Drone, and police were dispatched to the site.
10:33AM EST: Media reports state that Netanyahu continues his efforts to obtain additional firefighting aircraft to respond to Israel.
10:06AM EST: A separate wildfire was reported in a field near Route 70, south of Haifa near Bat Shlomo. Route 70 was closed to traffic in both directions.
9:11AM EST: It has been cleared for release that Police Commander Lior Boker was killed in the Carmel fire Thursday.
9:02AM EST: Coastal District Police Commander Roni Attia said Friday that two arson suspects were apprehended in the Carmel forest on Friday. The suspects were allegedly attempting to rekindle a fire in the forest with the use of Molotov cocktails. Attia added that arson is suspected in a number of separate fires, including Kiryat Bialik and Kiryat Tivon.
8:46PM EST: Speaking to reporters at an Air Force base, Netanyahu tells reporters, “We were not prepared for such a wildfire. It was never taken into account, by the professionals or authorities supervising them. There is a problem here, but first we have to take care of this fire.”
8:41AMEST: Israeli police are searching for suspected arsonists, who investigators believe are the cause of the massive fires.
8:38AM EST: For Shomer Shabbos residents: Authorities have announced that there would be a ‘Quiet Shabbat Frequency’ – 531 AM – which will only broadcast emergency instructions, and will be silent otherwise.
8:34AM EST: As a result of the fire, three IDF bases in the area were evacuated yesterday.
8:10AM EST: A total of ten aircraft (many foreign countries) are currently working on various fronts of the Carmel fire which has burnt over 7000 acres and claimed close to 50 lives.
8:03AM EST: A spokesperson for the FD told the Jpost that Haifa is no longer in danger. The fire is now focused on the Carmel hillsides and the Atlit region of Route 4.
7:40AM EST: At around 10:30 am, the fire had swept its way to the farther coastal Highway 2, closing one of Israel’s busiest roads between Zichron Yaakov and Haifa. at around noon, the blaze advanced toward Moshav Nir Etzion, south of Haifa, around noon on Friday. Several residents returned to the moshav overnight after police ordered its evacuation on Thursday. Police officials are now calling those residents to vacate their homes again, fearing the approaching flames could pose a serious risk on their lives.
7:11AM EST: PM Netanyahu said he spoke with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan who “expressed his and his country’s condolences to the families of the 41 casualties and expressed Turkey’s willingness to help.” ”I told Erdogan that we appreciate the major efforts during this time and I am sure that this will be a gateway to improving relations between the two countries”, the prime minister said at a press meeting in Haifa.
6:42AM EST: A blaze in Kiryat Tivon is now under control, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said Friday. He added that Haifa’s Denya area is safe and that fire has been pushed back from the area. ”We are not sending fire crews into the forests, this is too dangerous. The focus is on planes. We have Israeli and foreign planes dousing the flames, and we need more planes,” said Aharonovitch.
6:22AM EST: Hundreds of residents of Denya have gathered around the neighborhood’s entrance and asked to be allowed to enter the area. Police say onlookers are disrupting rescue operations and have asked them to disperse.
12:40AM EST: Over 20,000 dunams have been consumed by the Carmel forest fire as of Friday, according to Jewish National Fund officials.
12:27AM EST: The IAF early Friday was preparing its bases around the country to host a total of 24 international aircraft which will bring supplies, firefighters and help in fire suppression through the use of fire retardants against the uncontrolled blaze in the Carmel forest in the North. According to Army Radio, a total of five aircraft are expected to arrive from Greece, four from France, three from Britain, two from Spain, two from Russia, two from Turkey, two from Cypress, two from Bulgaria and one from Croatia and one from Azerbaijan.
12:17AM EST: Some of the victims have been released: Oshrat Pinto, 26, Ronen Peretz, 34, Hagai Jurno, 28, Roi Biton, 28, Yakir Suissa, 25, Inbal Amoyal, 26, Siom Tsagai, 31, Kfir Ohana, 30, and Wasim Abu-Rish, 28.
WHAT ABOUT THE US?!!!! Where are our “ALLIES?”
Victims released?
Their names or released from hospital?
I was always perplexed how arsonists in forest fires are caught, you have no motive the instant the fire gets out of control they run out of the woods and join the general population. yet we find they do get caught, (alot of times. i was just curious if anyone has any ideas what the detective go on to find such people
The amount of water they are using only makes the supply diminish HASHEM YERACHEM
YIW: President Obama has put American fire fighting teams and the US Forest Service on standby and promised to assist Israel in any way he can. That would include fire fighting equipment, personnel, ans financial assistance. The FDNY and the US Forest Service sent a Boeing 747 to Israel loaded with fire retardant which Israel is running low on. Israel is already receiving help from multiple countries including Turkey. This could be a chance for Israel to normalize relations with their former ally.
ze relations
Coastal District Police Commander Roni Attia said Friday that two arson suspects were apprehended in the Carmel forest on Friday. The suspects were allegedly attempting to rekindle a fire in the forest with the use of Molotov cocktails. Attia added that arson is suspected in a number of separate fires, including Kiryat Bialik and Kiryat Tivon.
#1, As reported on YWN, the US is helping:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/Israeli+News/77276/Mayor-Bloomberg-%26-FDNY-Send-747-Loaded-With-Chemicals-To-Fight-Fire-In-N.-Israel.html
Remember that it takes 12 hours to fly an jetliner from the eastern US to Israel. Many firefighting aircraft do not have the range to make it across the Atlantic.
Jerusalem Post is reporting that the suspected arsonists live in a Druze village.
ynetnews is reporting that the PA has sent firefighters and fire trucks and that they have been sent to Israeli Arab villages. However, an Islamic Jihad official was quoted as rejoicing over the deaths of the correctional officers and criticizing the Arab leaders who were compassionate towards Israel (presumably meaning Egypt, Jordan, and the PA).
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